RAHWAY — Rahway residents who want to rid their homes of potentially dangerous prescription drugs in a safe manner will be able to do so on Saturday, Oct. 26. From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the Rahway Police Department will be hosting “Operation Take Back New Jersey” at the Rahway Police Headquarters, located at 1 City Hall Plaza, Rahway.

Prescription drug abuse is rapidly becoming one of our nation’s greatest emerging drug problems and it is widely recognized that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from home medicine cabinets.

According to the 2012 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration’s National Survey on Drug Use and Health, more than seven million Americans currently abuse prescription drugs. Additionally, the survey reported for the 3rd year in a row that prescription drugs are the 2nd most abused drug category behind only marijuana.

The goal of “Operation Take Back New Jersey” is to allow the citizens of New Jersey to deliver all of their unused, unwanted, or expired medications to law enforcement officials who can in turn dispose of these controlled substances in a non-hazardous manner, preventing these pills from falling into the hands of juveniles or into the illicit market in our communities.

For questions on the Operation Take Back program, contact Detective William Eicholz at (732) 827-2079 or Weicholz@rahwaypolice.com.